rwilymz:

 -- the object is to fit in to the expectations of the venue and be invisible to the others there.  That's the case whether you're talking about being in the crowd at a baseball game, the dining room on a cruise ship, or a customer at Old Navy.  The expectations are not necessarily what's written down.

I absolutely agree. While not all rules are written down, it's common sense to dress appropriately for where you are going. I wouldn't go to a baseball game wearing the same thing I would wear to the dining room on the cruise or vice versa. It just doesn't make sense. However, I wouldn't let someone else's clothes ruin my dinner and/or cruise. What you want to wear is your business, but please put a little effort into it. If you want to dress for dinner like you just threw on your swimsuit cover up, then eat at the buffet, not the dining room.  I wouldn't look down on someone wearing jeans & a t-shirt to dinner, but please don't wear your tank top & shorts. Dressing like you don't care shows a lack of respect for other people. It's usually easy to tell who is wearing somethng they consider nice (even if you don't agree) & someone who doesn't care what others think. The people who don't care often have attitudes to match and are disrepectful in a multitude of areas.

so my $140.00 flip flops are a no no huh?  just kidding I don't have 140 buck flip flops but they exsist.   http://www.havaianas.com/

personally I don't get the whole anti flip flop thing.  A cute sundress and a nice pair of flip flops to dinner would be a okay with me. Heck my daughter wore a cute pair of sparkly flip flops with her wedding dress. I do have a pair of Havaianas and they are the MOST comfortable things in the world.

(now I can get off my soap box and duck at the flying tomatos that are going to be flung at me)

 

Well stated. I would not go to a fancy restaurant at home in jeans or shorts. To me it adds to the experience to dress nice ( nice doesn't have to mean stiff or formal.......just not jeans, shorts, T shirts) for dinner although I'll be the first to admit I usually change after dinner.  To me, the fancy dining room atmosphere (waitstaff, cloth tablecloths & napkins, several course meal, etc) just doesn't mix w/ jeans & shorts.  I tend to feel more "pampered" when the fancy atmosphere in the dining room is maintained.   So I will continue to dress nice for dinner.  But the bottom line is, since Carnival allows jeans & shorts, if someone wants to wear that, it is really none of my business.  I'm going to have a great time regardless of what someone else wears.

Wear what you want, when you want. I believe rwilymz is just trying to get a rise out of you. It is unfortunate. Be comfortable, forget all the social expectations that other people talk about. Who cares what other people think. You deserve to be comfortable in your own skin and clothing. If rwilymz is offended by people wearing torn t-shirts and jeans he probably can't go anywhere without being offended. I can find lots of other things to be offended about besides clothing. Spend time thinking about and developing your own character and less time worrying about whether you will be "offended" by what someone else is wearing. I know my mother always told me,  "worry about yourself and no one else". It has worked pretty well so far.

You really don't need to dress up but shorts & t-shirts really don't fit (plus it's cool in the main diningrooms with the air conditioning).  I mostly wore sun dresses on the Glory last summer but I only brought 3 and ended up in more casual clothes the other nights. This year I'll make sure I have a nice dress for all 7dinners. Not long dresses!! It's more that it makes you feel like you fit in the atmosphere and it makes it "feel" fancy.  Plus, playing dress up was part of the experience.

The formal dining suppers were SOOOO wonderful, even my kids (11 & 19 yr old boys and 15 & 18 yr old girls) wouldn't miss them!!  I loved them so much, I've had the same dream 5 times that I was on the cruise and everyone forgot to remind me about the supper & I missed all but the last one. I was in an absolute frinzy and so upset. 

Dress up - it's worth the effort ;)

tabbykat:

Wow....anger anger anger

If you're angry, then have a glass of wine and chill.

 

This is an academic discussion thus far. 

Wow, I hope if we are ever booked on the same cruise my family is seated with yours. Please dont let rwilymz get your goat, sounds like he needs a cruise in the worst way. We should all pitch in and get him a massage. I appreciate your advice, if you cruise on the Conquest over the Thanksgiving holidays you may see me eating dinner in my jeans!!

Rooz

claudia42282:

I believe rwilymz is just trying to get a rise out of you.

No, I'm not.  I'm stating a serious position with my tongue firmly planted in my cheek.

 ...just like every other time this subject comes up.

 

Wear what you want, when you want.

If we're going to do that, then I'm going to the Lido deck naked.  But that is against several sets of rules. 

forget all the social expectations that other people talk about

Unfortunately, you cannot do that anyplace on the planet, ever.  There is nowhere, at no time that you can simply "forget all the rules" and do what you please.  "Paying for a vacation" isn't an excuse to drop all the rules; neither is getting married; a place of your own to live; or overthrowing the government and setting yourself up as President For Life.  You still have to follow rules.

 

If rwilymz is offended by people wearing torn t-shirts and jeans he probably can't go anywhere without being offended.

Once again, and my tongue is now leaving my cheek and I expect to not have to say this anymore to anyone: nowhere did I say I was offended, and in fact,this sort of self-righteous presumtion is what I find offensive.  You are not capable of having a conversation about a topic that you have an emotional investment in without assigning an opposite emotional investment upon those who contradict you.

 That is dishonest, and I abhor dishonesty.

 

Tongue back in cheek.

 

Now quite frankly, and as I have to explain to those with hurt feelings every so often: the number of people in an 800-1000 seating cruise dining room who are dressed inappropriately can be counted on two hands maximum, yet there is a huge number of people who are defending it ... even though they are severely unlikely to do it.

My question has gotta be: why?  Why are you defending something that you aren't going to do?  Are you really that argumentative?

breeze3005:

Then you posted:  that though acceptable, some DON'T like seeing them.  This is where I was angry, for two reasons.

Go back and review.

If your answer was simply the "jeans are acceptable on the informal nights" that's the same answers as I give when I run across that question.  You can go and review my responses [lotta responses, and you probably don't have the time to devote]; however, you responded with a statement to the effect that other consideration for other people doesn't really matter.  ...which ... sorry.  You got my views on that.

 

breeze3005:

It's your vacation and a time for you to have fun, not worry about if you're dressed to someone else's standard.

Are you suggesting that you can't have fun by dressing up? that you can only have fun dressing down? that there are times that it's acceptable to forget you're part of a society in which you are not the Queen For A Day?

rooz:

Wow, I hope if we are ever booked on the same cruise my family is seated with yours. Please dont let rwilymz get your goat, sounds like he needs a cruise in the worst way. We should all pitch in and get him a massage. I appreciate your advice, if you cruise on the Conquest over the Thanksgiving holidays you may see me eating dinner in my jeans!!

Rooz

I would be honored to dine with your family. We, however won't be on the Conquest over Thanksgiving, but have a great time!!

rwilymz:

Unfortunately, you cannot do that anyplace on the planet, ever.  There is nowhere, at no time that you can simply "forget all the rules" and do what you please.  "Paying for a vacation" isn't an excuse to drop all the rules; neither is getting married; a place of your own to live; or overthrowing the government and setting yourself up as President For Life.  You still have to follow rules.

Who says? I can choose to wear what I want and not go in the dining room. I am not sure if you have noticed but Carnival has never made a habit of throwing people that aren't dressed appropriately out of the dining room. I have dined with people who were not dressed according to these social standards.

rwilymz:

You are not capable of having a conversation about a topic that you have an emotional investment in without assigning an opposite emotional investment upon those who contradict you.

 That is dishonest, and I abhor dishonesty.

Now I am just giggling.....I find this to be true comedy A), because you took it so seriously which probably means it is true and B) because I am actually sitting here dignifying your ignorant response with MY OWN response. You don't know me, you don't know what type of conversation I am capable of having. As far an an emotional investment goes, that is also comedic. I simply have beliefs that other people on cruise ships eating in a dining room are not there for MY personal experience. I, nor several other people on here do not depend upon the actions of others to be able to enjoy our meal. I don't expect anyone to stand in their closet and consider wearing certain clothes because it would make MY dining experience more pleasant. Do you even comprehend how insane that sounds? If you are unable to enjoy yourself because of what someone else is wearing, would you not call that offensive? I personally think it is a little Borderline personality/OCD but...I digress with that one.

Your so-called "social expectations" are becoming obsolete. Carnival has amended their dress policy in the dining room. If you are looking for a cruise where everyone wears ties, coats, dresses, etc in the dining room you are sailing with the wrong line plain and simple.

By the way, here come the jeans and t-shirts in the dining room on the Destiny 12-15-08, just for rwilymz, I will toast you with some cheap wine because I have such an emotional investment in this particular topic!!!!!

Wow, as a first time cruiser and a first time poster boy did I ever stumble upon an interesting thread. In a world full of negativity and cynicism breeze3005 you are to be commended. To you have stated your opinions and stood by them. rwilymz you also are entitled to your opinions, and have also stood by them. But I find that you are more than willing to maintain the battle when there is no battle to be had or won. Let it go. Let the thread return to it's intended course of helping us newbies discover the protocols out there and have an enjoyable cruise. Flaming has no place here, no matter how "intelligent" the conversation is presented. If this was the first and only thread I had read I would have been sorely disappointed.

Now back to the subject please.

@rwilymz You are a miserable bore and clearly have way too much time on your hands to be posting at this length on a cruise forum.... I'd sugest you find some volunteer work but, really, even the disadvantaged would find you to be a silly ass.

Hi Everyone,

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